Best Morse Decoder - maybe I should look into that since I can't even spell – · – · · – – .
China's Best (and Worst) Ham Gear from Hans
Showing posts with label Waccom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waccom. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Fakes, Knock-offs, Seconds, Early Models
Kight radio warns of a knock-off Yaesu FTM-350AR being sold as the Luiton FTM-350AR. They've warned of Wouxun fakes before, too. Hans also had concerns about early versions of radios being dumped.
I still stand by what I said then about going cheap as like most things, these decisions are compromises. But occasionally you get burned - more on that soon.
I still stand by what I said then about going cheap as like most things, these decisions are compromises. But occasionally you get burned - more on that soon.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Waccom WUV-6R: Wouxun KG-UVD1P - Fight!
Hans (PD0AC) reviews the Waccom WUV-6R and compares it to the Wouxun KG-UVD1P (as well as the Baofeng UV-5R). Some of the features of the WUV-6R sounded nice, but he is very disappointed in the receiver.
Click here to read the whole review.
Click here to read the whole review.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Waccom WUV-6R: Jacket
I take it all back. Now that I can get a jacket for my Waccom WUV-6R, I am all over it! I wonder if they will throw in a couple of free pens.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Better Than Nothing
I'm, obviously, a big fan of inexpensive things like the Chinese radios. I'm willing to take a risk when it comes to quality and performance if the price is low enough. But there are limits... if you are chasing the absolute lowest price, you may end up with something that isn't even worth the small amount you paid. (And don't get me started about the transaction costs of scouring the whole internet to save $0.05 on a $50.00 purchase.)
Not Better Than Nothing
Hans (PD0AC) has a post up about Waccom where he wonders if they aren't buying up the early versions of various radios - early versions that have problems that were fixed in subsequent releases. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that some of these companies are actually related - that they've created tiers/brands for the various levels of quality. If a radio is good, sell it under the primary brand. If you have a bad batch, sell them under a secondary brand, so you don't dilute the stronger reputation of the primary.
These Waccoms seem to be the exception to the "better than nothing" rule in that, for essentially the same money, you could have a much better product. That's why I call this a "not better than nothing" option - you have wasted a scare resource in a race to the bottom.
Better Than Nothing
When it comes to self-defense, I'm less inclined to find the cheapest gun available, but there are some interesting options out there. (Everyday of the week and twice on Sunday, I would pick an inexpensive gun over no gun - even if it was one of these.)
Today, I saw this article about Cheaper Than Dirt's best selling gun - the Interstate Arms Hawk Model 982. The 982 is a clone of the popular Remington 870 and is less than $200. The article says it is so successful because "it does a great job of doing exactly what the manufacturer intended it to do, which is to be a rugged home defense gun." Then came this article about a polymer AR lower for only $50. There must be something in the water, because Tam also had this post about cheap fakes of the already inexpensive Magpul sights.
Not everyone can afford a Bio Force Gun 9000, so these less expensive options have their place. I would tend to think of them as "trunk guns" unless I couldn't afford something else. In that case, they would be my pride and joy. Much like I think of the Baofengs as cheap insurance. It may not be the best performer, but the low price allows me to keep one at the office, one in each car, etc. Since I don't have a complete armory at my house, maybe a 982 and a polymer lower is in my future.
Cheaper Than Dirt article via Gun Nuts Media
Not Better Than Nothing
Hans (PD0AC) has a post up about Waccom where he wonders if they aren't buying up the early versions of various radios - early versions that have problems that were fixed in subsequent releases. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that some of these companies are actually related - that they've created tiers/brands for the various levels of quality. If a radio is good, sell it under the primary brand. If you have a bad batch, sell them under a secondary brand, so you don't dilute the stronger reputation of the primary.
These Waccoms seem to be the exception to the "better than nothing" rule in that, for essentially the same money, you could have a much better product. That's why I call this a "not better than nothing" option - you have wasted a scare resource in a race to the bottom.
Better Than Nothing
When it comes to self-defense, I'm less inclined to find the cheapest gun available, but there are some interesting options out there. (Everyday of the week and twice on Sunday, I would pick an inexpensive gun over no gun - even if it was one of these.)
Today, I saw this article about Cheaper Than Dirt's best selling gun - the Interstate Arms Hawk Model 982. The 982 is a clone of the popular Remington 870 and is less than $200. The article says it is so successful because "it does a great job of doing exactly what the manufacturer intended it to do, which is to be a rugged home defense gun." Then came this article about a polymer AR lower for only $50. There must be something in the water, because Tam also had this post about cheap fakes of the already inexpensive Magpul sights.
Not everyone can afford a Bio Force Gun 9000, so these less expensive options have their place. I would tend to think of them as "trunk guns" unless I couldn't afford something else. In that case, they would be my pride and joy. Much like I think of the Baofengs as cheap insurance. It may not be the best performer, but the low price allows me to keep one at the office, one in each car, etc. Since I don't have a complete armory at my house, maybe a 982 and a polymer lower is in my future.
Cheaper Than Dirt article via Gun Nuts Media
Monday, March 19, 2012
Baofeng UV-5R: Waccom UV-5R 5W Video
409Shop has put out a video of the Waccom UV-5R. I did not see any difference between the Baofeng and Waccom, but the Waccom is still advertised as 5W. A quick search of the 409Shop site does not show any other Waccom radios - just some accessories that are shared by the Baofeng version.
Hat tip to Nate who let me know about the video.
Hat tip to Nate who let me know about the video.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Baofeng UV-5R: Waccom UV-5R 5W
Steve points out that the 409Shop has a Waccom UV-5R for sale. The description says the unit is 5W. We've seen the other versions of the UV-3R (Magiksun, Comtex, Zastone), but the specs were normally the same. I still want to know if the UV-5R is a Baofeng product or if they are just re-branding some's hardware like they did with VeroTelecom and the UV-3R. Clearly, it is similar to the TYT TH-F8.
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